Radiator-trap.



U. A. DUNHAM.

RADIATOR TRAP.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.10, 1913 ATTORNEY.

UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE. I

' CLAYTON AUBRA DUNHAM,

or MARSHALLITOWN, IOWA.

RADIATOR-TRAP.

To a? Z whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CLAYTON AUBRA DUN- HAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at l\larshalltown, in the county of'Marshall and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Radiator-flraps,'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relatestotraps designed to be used primarily in connection withiradi'ators of steam heating systems, and particularly steam heating systems wherein a'partial vacuum is maintained in the return.

pipe, and known and designated in thetrade as vacuum systems and vacuo-va-porsystems.

Traps embodying my invention are provided with a valve that is controlled by a thermostatic device consisting of a closed,

chambered, expansible'me'mber within which liquids are maintained adapted to be vaporized when the expansible member becomes heated, and to become condensed whenthe temperature of said member is reduced. The expansible member is inclosed within an outer casing, and when steam passes into the interior of said 'casingand comes in contact with the expansible member the liquids within said member become vaporized and the force of the'vapors causes said member to expand and press the valve connected therewith down on to its seat, so as to prevent the outward passage of the steam from the interior of the outer casing through the valve opening. y I

Conversely, whenthe waterof condensa tion accumulates Within theint erior of the outer casing, and thereby reduces thetm perature of the expansible member," the vapors within said member condense, the

pressure on theinterio'r'wa'lls of the expansible' member is thereby reduced, and said member contracts andfli'lts the valve from its seat, so as to permitair and thewater of condensation within theout e'r casing to flow out of the trap through the valve opening.

To aid in the operation of'the eirpansibl'e member a partial vacuun'i' is maintained therein so 'as't'o produce afn'ormal tendency on the-part of the "exp'ansible' membe-r' to contract and therebykeep'thc 'alvef'off fthe seat and permitair 'andthewater of condensation to passthrough the trap .when" Specification of Letters Patent. v P a te ted F b 16 1915 Application filed October in, 1913. Serial 110194529. I

there is an absence of steam within the outer casing. I

In a heating system, traps embodying my mventi onare attached to the discharge end of radiators and the discharge end of the radlators is connected to a return pipe preferably having a partial vacuum maintained therein.- The opposite or inlet end'of the rad ators 1s connected with a supply pipe.

If the expansible member of a trap em-' bodymg my invention, when attached to a radiator, becomes impaired to such an extent as to lose its partial vacuum, and

the whole or part ofthe volatile liquids con-,

tained in said member, themernber will not expand when steam enters the trap-and the valve will remain raised off its seat. The steam from the supply pipe following the path of least resistance, will consequently continue to flow" through the radiator to which said trap is connected and out into.

'the retu'rn 'pipefthereby destroying the partialvacuiim in the return pipe and preventing the' steam from the supply pipe rising and passing into the radiators on the floors above the defective trap.

My invention has for its object to provide means whereby .a trapof the character herein described will automatically when im-' paired to the extent hereinbefore stated,

close the valve down onto or near its seat, and thereby prevent 'or restrict the steam 7 from passing through the radiator to which said impaired trap'is attached and out into the're'tu'rn pipe, and atthe sametime place the radiator having the defective trap out of service, without interfering with the proper service of the othertraps inthe-system. The fact that one of the traps of a steam heating system has become impaired,

may then be readilylearne d from the ab- 1 some of heatjin' the radiator to'which trap it attached.

It sometimes happensfthat the constant member of a trap ofthe character herein described while acted upon byvariations of pulsation of the walls of, an expansjible temperature; will ,set up a I buzzing "sound,

and my i'nven'tionf has for"- its further object "'no'tonous audible vibration of the 1 walls of the, expansible member.

i to provide means-fonovercoming any mo 1 I The ioregoing objects invention sents the base section of the outer casing of a trap having a laterally extending nozzle 2 provided with an inlet port 3; the end of said nozzle being threaded to engage a coupling nut 4 for the purpose of binding a nipple 5 on to the inlet nozzle 2. The base section 1 of the outer casing is also provided with a central extension 6 having an interior thread 7 to engage a discharge pipe. A valve opening 8 surrounded by a valve seat 9 is also formed in said base section. The-upper section 10 of the casing of the trap is connected with the base section in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a threaded flange 11 which engages'a corresponding-thread formed interiorly on the base section 1 as illustrated in Fig. 2. The interior of the upper section of the trap is provided with a boss 12 that'is hollowed out centrally and provided with a thread 13 to engage a corresponding thread formed .on a stem 14 to hold said stem in position and permit the stem to be adjusted relatively to the boss 12 of the upper section of the casing of the trap.

The stem 1 1 supports a chambered'expansible member which may be of any suitable construction having the capabilities hereinafter described, but preferably as illustrated in the drawings comprising two flexible corrugated plates 15 joined together at their outer margin 16. The inner centralportion of the upper plate 15 is secured to the stem 14: in any suitable manner, preferably by means of a flange 17 formed on the stem 1 1 and by binding or otherwise securing the central inner portion of the upper plate 15 to said stem 14 and flange 17, by means of solder or otherwise, and if desired with the aid of an angular binding and reinforcing collar 18. A valve stud 19 is attached to or connected with the lower plate 15 of the expansible member centrallv thereof, and may likewise be provided with a flange 20 to which the inner central portion of the lower plate 15 may be soldered or otherwise secured, and if desired with the aid of a reinforcing angular collar21.

The lower surface 22 of the stud- 19 forms a valve adapted to bear on the valve seat 9 and close the valve opening 8.

The stem 14 on which the expansible member is mounted is preferably provided with an aperture 23 through which a volatile liquid may be inserted into the interior of the said member, and after said liquid has been inserted Within said-member the aperture 23 may be closed by a plug 2i and sealed in any suitable manner.

The interior of the expansible member is, provided with a spring 25 the function of which is to normally press the flexible plates 15 apart, and is of sufficient strength, when not resisted by other agencies, to force the valve 22 down on or near to the valve seat. 9 and close or restrict the valve port 8. The shape and location of said spring with in the expansion member may be varied as desired. v

An auxiliary member 26is loosely mounted within the expansible member, and although shown herein in the form of a circular ring, its shape may be modified without departing from my invention. The auxiliary member 26 performs two independent functions. It absorbs or prevents any audible vibration of the thin flexible walls of the expansible member, and it also serves as a guard or stop to limit the inward compression or collapse of the walls of said member. p

I prefer to use the auxiliary member or guard 26 within the expansible member as the most convenient place to locate it, although said member may be placed against the outside of one of the walls of the expansible member if its purpose is designed to, simply prevent audible vibration of the walls of the expansible member. In the performance of its function to absorb any audible vibration of the thin flexible walls of the expansible member," the auxiliary member 26 is distinguished from prior devices used solely to prevent undue collapse of the expanding member, in that said auxiliary member is mounted upon one of the vibrating walls of the expansible member and moves in synchronism with the vibrating wall of the expansible member upon which it is mounted.

When in operation the trap is connected by means of the nipple 5 with the discharge end of a radiator and the threaded portion of the extension 6 is connected with the re turn pipe of a heating system preferably having a partial vacuum maintained therein. When there is water of condensation in the lower portion of the radiator the valve is in the position shown in Fig. 2-. of the drawing removed from its "seat for the water of'conde'nsation and air to pass out of the radiator into the return pipe. After the. Water of condensation and airjha-ve passed out of the radiator, steam floiwsiinto the casing of the trap and comes infcon-taet with the walls/of the expansible member. The increased heat of the steam applied to'the expansible member causesjgt'he volatile liquids within said member to vaporize and expand said member, thereby forcing the valve down on to its seat so as to prevent the passage of steam from the radiator into the return pipe.

The valve remains closed on its seat as long as there is steam within the trap, but when water of condensation again accumulates within the radiator and passes intothe trap, the lower temperature of .said water. as compared with that of the steam causes the vapors within the expansible member to condense and the walls of said member thereupon contract and raise the valve 22 from its seat so as to again permitthe water of condensation to flow out of the radiator through the trap and into the return pipe.

In the devices heretofore used in whieh a valve of a trap is controlled by. an expansible member having volatile liquids and a partial vacuum therein, the vacuum employed is designed simply to aid the flexible walls of the expansible member to retract. But in my invention I employ a partial vacuum within the expansible member sulficient to aid not only in causing the walls of said member to retract, but also suflicient to overcome the tension of the spring 25 within the expansible member. v

If the expansible member of a steam trap of the character herein described becomes impaired to such an extent as to leak and lose its partial vacuum and the whole or part of the volatile liquids contained within said chamber, the spring 25 will automatically force the valve down on or near to its seat, thereby preventing steam from going through the trap and into the return pipe and destroying the vacuum in the return pipe, and also preventing the loss of steam itself. The radiator having the defective trap is thereby placed out of service and the steam from the supply pipe is permitted to enter the radiators on the floors above the one having the defective trap.

The tension of the spring 25 is so correlated to the pressure exerted; upon the outside of the expansible member and to the partial vacuum within said member as to cause said spring to be normally compressed by said agencies when the trap is in use. The tension of the spring becomes effective for necessary use only in case the expansible member has become damaged to such an extent as to leak and to lose its partial vacuum and the whole or part of the volatile liquid within said member. In that event the spring operates to close the valve and keep it on its seat and thereby place may be attached to the upper portion of a radiator to serve as a valve to deliver air from the radiator independently of the return pipe.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: O

1. In a radiator trap, the combination of a valve, a valve operating chambered expansible member provided with a partial vacuum and a volatile liquid, and a spring arranged Within said member so correlated to the partialvacuum as to be normally compressed while said vacuum is effective and adapted to expand said member when the vacuum has been destroyed and said member becomes defective, and hold the valve down on its seat.

2. In a radiator trap, the combination of an outer casing, having an inlet port, an outlet port and a valve opening, a chambered expansible member provided with a volatile liquid and a partial vacuum, a spring within said expansible member normally compressed while the partial vacuum is effective and adapted to expand said member when the vacuum has become lost, and a valve connected with said expansible member.

3. In a radiator trap, the combination with a casing, of a chambered expansible member having vibratile walls, a valve connected with said member, and an auxiliary metallic member placed loosely upon one of said walls between the center and periphery thereof and free from contact with any rigid portion of said expansible member, for the purpose specified.

4. In a radiator trap, the combination with a casing, of a chambered expansible member comprising two flexible walls se cured together at their outer margins, one of said walls being connected with said casing, a valve connected with the other wall, and a metallic ring placed loosely upon one of said walls between the center and periphery thereof and free from contact with any rigid portion of said expansible member, for the purpose specified.

R. U. THOMPSON, O. S. PE'rTnnsoN. 

